Military aircraft crashes in Yemen's capital, pilot killed

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-5-13 18:45:31

A military aircraft crashed in a residential area in Yemen's capital of Sanaa on Monday morning, killing the pilot, a security source told Xinhua.

The military Sukhoi jet crashed on top of a residential building in the southern part of Sanaa, killing the pilot and set the building on fire, the source said, adding that no casualties among the civilians were reported.

An official at the air base which is near the Sanaa International Airport told Xinhua that the jet was on a training mission and exploded before it hit the building.

A witness said two buildings were slightly damaged and no civilians were injured.

It is the third aircraft crash in six months in the capital following a military jet crashed in a residential area in Sanaa on Feb. 19, which killed 12 people including two children.

A Russian-made Antonov warplane crashed in a deserted market in Hassaba neighborhood in northern Sanaa on November 21, 2012, which left 10 people on board dead.

On October 15, 2012, another military helicopter crashed near the Anad air base in Yemen's southern province of Lahj due to technical problems and the pilot died from serious injuries.

The frequent air crashes, especially in residential districts in Sanaa, have sparked anger among citizens who demanded a legislation to ban warplanes from carrying out training missions over residential areas.

Posted in: Mid-East

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